JAG s03e07 Episode Script

Reprisal, this is Big Eye.
Target drone is on station.
Range is clear.
You may launch intercept.
Reprisal, Hawkeye.
We've acquired the target.
Switching to attack radar.
Target in sight.
Armament master on.
Hawkeye flight, Big Eye.
We have an unidentified civilian aircraft entering the range.
Sir, there's an unidentified aircraft in the missile test range.
Get an ID? Big Eye says it's a commercial passenger plane.
- U.
S.
Airline? - No, sir.
According to the signal code it's North Korean.
What are they doing in the middle of a test range? - I'll ask them, sir.
- Negative.
I don't want them alerted this was anything special.
Abort the missile test.
I'll alert the skipper.
Aye, aye, sir.
Hawkeye, Reprisal.
Safety your missiles.
We have a civilian airliner in the test range.
Repeat, safety your missiles.
We have a civilian airliner in the test range.
Over.
Reprisal, Hawkeye flight safetying master switch.
This is Hawkeye.
Missile fired, missile fired! Repeat, my AMRAAM has fired.
Oh, God.
Following in his father's footsteps as a Naval aviator, Lieutenant Commander Harmon Rabb Jr.
Suffered a crash while landing his Tomcat on a storm-tossed carrier at sea.
Diagnosed with night blindness, Harm transferred to the Navy's Judge Advocate General Corps, which investigates, defends and prosecutes the law of the sea.
There, with fellow JAG lawyer Major Sarah MacKenzie, he now fights in and out of the courtroom with the same daring and tenacity that made him a top gun in the air.
A Marine F-18 squadron deployed on the carrier Reprisal was testing a new version of the AMRAAM missile.
One of the missiles brought down a North Korean civilian airliner.
- Attention on deck.
- As you were.
- How many casualties, sir? - Thirty-one.
No survivors.
North Korean government claims the aircraft was on a trial run with company executives.
I suppose they're blaming us.
It was our missile, commander.
In an hour, the president starts apologising to everyone on the planet.
The White House has a lot of questions and they want the answers.
What was a North Korean airliner doing in a Navy test zone anyway? - That's one of the questions.
- Probably drifted off course.
That's what the captain of the Reprisal thinks.
Well, what are the North Koreans claiming? That we were notified of the flight and acted with malicious intent.
That's bull.
Sir.
Didn't our radar detect the North Korean flight? Apparently it did, but not in time to stop the missile launch.
Who's the skipper of the Reprisal, admiral? Captain Ray Hubbard.
Good man.
Ship handler.
- Anything else? - No, sir.
Flight's at 1300.
I expect a preliminary report in 36 hours.
- Dismissed.
- Aye, aye, sir.
Commander.
Major.
If a Naval officer, pilot or skipper, caused the death of those civilians, I expect you to find the evidence to prove it.
- Is that clear? - And if he didn't, sir? Then there is a God.
Just what the Navy needs, another incident.
Yeah, especially with the North Koreans.
Sir, you don't think they'll retaliate at all, do you? What do you mean, like shoot one of our planes down? Yeah.
Plane or a helicopter or The one that's taking us to the Reprisal? - Yes, sir.
- No, I don't think so.
Although, to be on the safe side, I'd wear a flak jacket.
Bud, the flak jacket idea is totally ridiculous.
- You think so, major? - Oh, absolutely.
Yeah, me too.
Yeah, you'd do much better sitting on your helmet.
Well, I guess that cancels dinner.
Well, I'll freeze the steaks.
- I'm gonna miss you.
- Me too.
- Call if you need anything? - Okay.
- Bud? - Yeah? Take care of yourself, okay? You too.
I'm not the one who needs to sit on his helmet.
- I'll call when I get a chance.
- Bud? I don't suppose I could get a goodbye kiss, could I? I really don't think so.
I love you.
Gentlemen, ma'am, I'm Tim McGuss.
Captain Hubbard is waiting for you on the Bridge.
- Lay on, McGuss.
- I get that a lot, sir.
It's nice to be underway again, sir.
That it is, Bud.
NAVAIR gave us the newest version of the AMRAAM missile.
It's got a carbon-composition and a low-signature surface.
- Invisible to radar.
- Well, that's the theory, commander.
We were testing it under combat conditions.
It was supposed to have shot down an unmanned drone.
Captain, is there any doubt our missile hit the North Korean airliner? - CAG? - The missile had a locator.
If it went dumb and landed in the ocean, we'd still be hearing a signal.
We're not.
We've got a salvage vessel sailing for the crash site right now.
Obviously we'll know more once the wreckage is recovered.
- Where is the F-18 now, sir? - In the hangar bay.
Nobody's looked at it or touched it pending your investigation, except the missile rail's been detached.
NAVAIR and NATOPS are standing by.
CAG, who fired the missile, sir? Captain Ryder was flying the aircraft.
He said he didn't fire the missile, that it launched for unexplained reasons.
- Do you believe that, sir? - I live in a two-choice world, major.
Either I'm a lousy CAG and my pilots lie to me or I believe them.
Test range.
Over.
Reprisal, Hawkeye flight safetying master switch.
This is Hawkeye.
Missile fired, missile fired! Repeat, my AMRAAM has fired.
You didn't shut off your armament master switch? No, sir.
I didn't get a chance.
The missile fired as I was reaching for it.
I see you had some problems back in the spring.
Your flight training scores went down six weeks in a row, a missed weapons check, unsecured cockpit.
Yes, ma'am.
My performance took a nosedive.
I requested temporary removal from flight status.
At the time, my brother was on medical leave.
He was at Portsmouth Naval Hospital.
Cancer.
Sorry to hear that.
Thank you, ma'am.
A month ago, you requested to be put back on flight status.
After my brother went into remission, yeah.
Captain Ryder, is it possible you accidentally fired the missile? No, ma'am, it is not.
Well, somehow that missile got fired, captain.
I know, ma'am but not by me.
You know, back in the '80s, the Navy had a TFOA programme to explain situations like this one.
TFOA? - Things falling off aircraft.
- Yeah.
Now, that's a good explanation for getting around pilot error.
I'm not convinced it's pilot error.
- What else could it be? - I don't know, yet.
Commander.
Major.
Walt Rockwell, communications officer.
Welcome aboard.
- Thanks.
- Nice to meet you.
The North Koreans claim their plane's flight plan was sent to all the ships in the area.
I checked our communication logs.
Why do I get the feeling you never received one? Then you must have ESP.
You ever have North Korean planes fly through a test range before? No.
We never work near regular flight regions.
After you.
Reprisal, this is the Sea Star.
We are on-site and definitely pinging something on the bottom at 100 fathoms.
Be advised we have company.
Two Ushong class destroyers are approaching.
We are now launching our remote control camera unit.
The Sea Star has located the wreckage and sent down a camera probe.
She's also reporting North Korean destroyers on their way.
A flash message from 7th Fleet, sir.
All right, 7th Fleet has ordered us to proceed to the salvage site to ensure that the Koreans don't interfere with the recovery operation.
Gator, plot an intercept course and time-to-station at flank speed.
Aye, aye, sir.
Sir, the salvage vessel reports the North Korean cruiser, Choson, has fired a warning shot across her bow.
Get a section of Tomcats up to cover the salvage ship until we get there.
- Yes, sir.
- Send a message to the Koreans.
We are in international waters and we'll take any measures necessary to protect the interests of the United States.
- Send that right now.
- Aye, aye, sir.
Gator, have you got a solution for me yet? Yes, sir.
Heading 337 at 25 knots will put us there in 14 hours, 20 minutes.
Make it so.
The amber symbol in the middle is our salvage vessel.
Those white ships ours? Yeah, and the red are the North Koreans.
They say they'll open fire if we stay in the area.
They're bluffing.
Do you think so? Catanese, have Commander Rockwell radio our destroyers, protect the salvage vessel.
Shouldering is authorised.
Push the North Korean ships aside if they won't move.
Aye, aye, sir.
Commander, don't you have an accident to investigate? - Yes, sir.
- I suggest you get to it.
Aye, aye, sir.
We're JAG officers investigating the aircraft.
Are we looking for anything in particular? Maybe.
I'll know when I find it.
The admiral wants a report by 2000, Harm.
He'll have it.
The captain said they removed a launch rail.
What? Look at this.
It looks like scorch marks.
It is.
From a burning missile engine.
When a missile launches, it drops away from the wing before the engine ignites.
This missile ignited before it left the wing.
Maybe the pilot fired it and it ignited prematurely.
Maybe.
Maybe something else caused it to ignite.
I've worked with ordnance for 15 years.
I've dealt with every kind of weapon the Marine Corps has.
You loaded the AMRAAMs for the missile test? I did.
Could there have been a problem with the firing mechanism? - It was a prototype missile, after all.
- No, sir.
The firing mechanism was standard.
It was the missile skin that was being tested.
Besides, we always double check everything.
We wouldn't want them exploding and killing a pilot.
It's a terrible thing, this airliner blowing up.
There's not a soul on this carrier who's not upset by it.
You say there's no way the missile was defective, but there is another possibility.
If you mean was it properly mounted? Yes, it was.
I checked myself.
So why did it ignite prematurely? I can't explain it, major.
I wish I could.
- That's not an adequate answer.
- It's the only one I've got, ma'am.
Gunner, we'll contact you if we have any further questions.
Thank you.
Yes, sir.
- Take it easy, Mac.
- We're not getting any answers.
All we're hearing is "I can't explain it.
" You're not gonna get any answers by bullying people either.
Me, bullying? - Didn't think it was possible, did you? - No.
I know you wanna wrap this thing up quickly, so you can go home.
I wanna wrap this up quickly so the admiral can get his report.
We have six hours and 22 minutes.
Mac, you wanna go home, you said so yourself.
I was just kidding about that, Harm.
Yeah, I don't know if it's the sea you hate or if it's that you love Washington, or you just miss old Dalton Lowne so doggone much Stop right there.
Is that what this is all about? Dalton Lowne? - And all the trappings a lawyer like him represents.
And what is that? Wealth, prestige, a Porsche.
Everything you don't get as a JAG lawyer.
Yeah, you're right.
I am interested in Dalton as a man, not as some hook to a better career.
That's the stupidest thing you have ever said.
All right, okay.
Maybe I'm wrong.
You are.
There.
That's it.
That quick: I hear it but I don't recognise it.
Let me stretch it out.
- Any progress, Bud? - Yes, sir.
You should listen to this.
What is it, sir? I think I know how the missile was triggered.
That sound is radar sweeping the Hornet.
Under some circumstances, a strong radar signal can short-circuit a firing system - causing a missile motor to ignite.
- Causing a missile motor to ignite.
Did you hear the radar sweep when you were flying? No, sir.
It must have gone by so fast that I missed it.
Is it possible you didn't mention it earlier because it implicates someone in your own squadron? As I said, ma'am, I didn't hear it.
If I had, I'd have told you.
Well, somebody lit up your Hornet, captain.
Commercial airlines don't have that kind of radar.
Yes, sir.
But I have no idea where that radar came from.
And I assure you, it did not come from my squadron.
I'll stake my reputation on that.
Let's see what your fellow aviators have to say.
You're bulldozing, Mac.
Will you lighten up? Try using a little finesse.
Coffee, sir? Ma'am? Please.
Oh, my God.
Oh, sir, I'm so sorry.
Are you all right? Here, let me - It's all right.
Thank you.
- Let me wipe it.
It's all right.
No permanent damage done.
I hope not, sir.
I'm such a jerk.
You're sure you're all right? That coffee's hot.
I know.
- I'm so sorry.
- It's all right.
It's okay.
Thank you.
- Yes, sir.
- No need for anything else.
Thanks.
Enjoying yourself? CAG, your pilots are unanimous.
No one made a mistake.
No one hit anyone else with their radar.
And I concur with that opinion.
We're all human, sir.
If I trained these men, I'd feel the same.
Major, executing a mission is like boiling an egg.
You don't wake up one day and suddenly do it different.
Sir, you had four aircraft in the air.
There were no other planes around.
The ship's radar didn't trigger that missile.
Conclusion, one of your pilots is responsible and he isn't admitting it.
Quacks like a duck, walks like a duck, but this time it's a goose.
You see, for the life of me, I have no idea where that radar came from.
I know guys who'd give up a month's pay for this duty.
You think you're too good for the galley? - That's not true.
- Don't interrupt me.
Is there a problem in here? Nothing I can't handle, major.
We're trying to conduct an interview in there.
Sorry, ma'am.
We're through.
You're not having a very good day, are you? No, ma'am.
I'm not.
I'm Major MacKenzie.
You are? Seaman Alice Tuppany, ma'am.
So, what was that all about? Nothing.
Just a slight disagreement.
It looked like more than a disagreement to me.
The senior chief was chewing your head off.
Well, it wouldn't be the first time, ma'am.
Well, three days ago, middle of my morning shift, I leave the galley for, like, 15 minutes.
I mean, it was nothing.
I was checking in to CIC for training.
That's what I really joined the Navy for.
I understand you'd want to observe combat operations, but leaving the galley mid-shift is not a good idea.
I'm gone for, like, 15 minutes and there's a fire and the senior chief blames me.
- Were you at fault? - No, ma'am.
I was not.
- Well, then why did he blame you? - Because I'm new or female I'll talk to the senior chief.
Don't worry.
It's It's what I do.
Thank you, ma'am.
And I checked with the air controllers.
And they claim that North Korean flights often deviate from their regular flight paths, but that they always send out notice.
- Not this time.
- No, sir.
Commander Rockwell checked all the messages received in the past 72 hours and there was no such notice.
Go back and re-check the messages.
Yes, sir.
I'll need to get clearance from Commander Rockwell.
I'll get it for you.
He's not gonna like that, sir.
Well, he'll do it anyway.
Have you seen my toothbrush? I told you.
There was no communication regarding an altered flight plan from the Koreans.
Then there should be no problem with our checking the tapes.
My word or my competency? Excuse me? Which are you questioning? My word or my competency? Neither.
Commander, I'm trying to conduct an investigation.
So how's the investigation coming along? It's going fine.
You know, as a class of warriors, pilots are the best, but you do tend to take care of your own.
Do we? I don't mean you personally, but it does make you wonder.
Where did that radar come from? What makes you think radar's the issue? People talk.
No secrets here.
When you say that pilots take care of their own, you have someone specific in mind? No.
Why would I wanna blame anyone? I'll go to the Comm.
Room and get you those tapes.
I'll come with you.
I have to make a call anyway.
Reprisal, this is Fryer.
Two more North Korean frigates are entering the search area.
Sea Star, Reprisal.
Be advised two more North Korean warships are approaching.
Continue salvage operation.
We'll provide air coverage until service units reach you in 10 hours.
Roger, Reprisal.
We appreciate that.
Admiral, Lieutenant Commander Rabb.
How are you, sir? I'll be doing a whole lot better, commander, when I get your report.
SECNAV is all over my butt about this.
What do you have? We suspect a radar pulse caused the missile to fire, sir.
We don't know yet where that radar came from.
Was it pilot error? Too soon to say, sir.
All right, well, stay on it.
You need anything from this end? A moment, sir.
Commander, can I have a moment of privacy? No can do, commander.
You know no one's left alone in the Comm.
Room.
Admiral, I need service records and fitness reports from the four pilots who were in the air at the time and on the comm.
Officer, Lieutenant Commander Walter Rockwell.
- All right.
Anything else? - Yes, sir.
Can you find out if any U.
S.
Planes were flying classified missions in the area where the missile was fired? Done.
All hands.
- Condition three.
Condition three.
- I'll have to call you back.
This is not a drill.
This is not a drill.
All hands.
Condition three.
Condition three.
This is not a drill.
This is not a drill.
The captain of the Choson has issued an ultimatum.
We are to leave the area by dawn and take the salvage vessel with us.
If we refuse, they will consider it an act of war.
Looks like they're playing Who's Gonna Blink First, skipper.
- It won't be us.
- No, sir.
I don't expect it will.
CAG, how many F-14s do you have in the air? Six, skipper.
Tell Major Keneally to make a low pass over the bridge of the Choson.
Tell him a speed of Mach 1.
2 is recommended.
Aye, aye, sir.
That will shake their fillings.
Panther, Reprisal.
You are granted permission to boom the cruiser.
Reprisal, Panther.
Roger that.
On our way.
Weather brief.
Comes in twice a day.
This one was at 0820, the day before the missile test.
That's an outbound transmission to our plane guard.
Time, 0909, same day.
- Did you see that? - See what? Well, it looked like a spike.
- There.
That.
- What is it? Looks like some kind of compressed digital signal.
- Like a burst transmission? - Pulse-code modulated.
- What's it from? - I don't know.
It's unusual.
Signal's real strong.
It's gonna take me a couple hours to break this down.
Maybe you'd like to go get a cup of coffee, sir.
Yeah.
All right, bye.
Your presence is requested in Sea Wings.
Radar check, your presence is requested in Sea Wings.
- Ensign Sims.
- Harriet? Bud, hi! Hi, how are you? Good, good.
How are you? You're there so late.
Yeah, I have cases to file.
Anyway, I had a feeling that you might be calling.
Anyway, how are things? How are things there? Everything sounds so scary.
Well, we're at condition three, but it's nothing.
You're breaking up.
I can't hear you.
What are you saying? I said it's nothing.
I heard the North Koreans are threatening you.
Oh, well, they basically said to get out of town and the captain told them to stick it.
And then he sonic boomed one of the lead Korean ships.
This connection is terrible.
Do you think there's gonna be fighting? L I don't know.
This connection is terrible.
Can you hear me? I said, "I don't know.
" Harriet, the reason I was calling because I want Bud, I can't hear you.
Can you hear me now? - What? - Look, Harriet, I called to tell you before anything happens Harriet, I love you too.
Harriet? Harriet? Bud? Oh, damn.
I heard you, Bud.
This girl left her duties.
Technically, that's true, but you could have let her go with a reprimand, senior chief.
Why is JAG getting involved in this anyway? No, I'm here unofficially.
I'm just trying to simplify the situation.
It's already simple.
If she stayed here, there wouldn't have been any fire.
- She almost cost me my galley.
- She says the fire wasn't her fault.
That's irrelevant, major.
She left her duties.
Okay, she made a mistake, but captain's mast? A fire onboard ship is a serious matter.
Of course, we all know that, but she learned her lesson.
What's to be gained from punishing her? To set an example.
She thinks she's too good for mess.
Well, let me tell you something, major.
I feed 5000 sailors three times a day.
I'm in charge of four galleys.
That's 15,000 meals.
You run a ship without a galley, you know what you got? - Hungry sailors.
- Damn straight.
What say we let the skipper decide the punishment, huh, major? Excuse me, ma'am.
Hey, hey, hold on there.
Get it up Light it up.
Light it up.
The signal breaks down into a message.
I don't know how much you know about cryptology, sir.
I know that coded messages are sent in short bursts.
The faster they travel, the less likely they are to draw attention.
This one went in under a millisecond.
It took me a while to decode it, but it's very clean.
Someone on this ship sent a message specifying the time and place of the AMRAAM test.
Do you understand what you're saying? The day before the Korean airliner was shot down, somebody aboard this ship, sent out classified information about the missile test.
- You keep this to yourself.
- Sir To yourself, Petty Officer Sullivan.
Aye, aye, sir.
Thank you.
As you were.
Sir, do you really think that there is a spy onboard ship? What other explanation is there? Did you check the pilots' records yet? Yes, sir.
There's nothing out of order in any of them.
Yeah? See if you think this is out of order.
Lieutenant Commander Rockwell, the comm.
Officer? The admiral had NCIS run a background check on him.
- Third paragraph.
- He owns two houses? Last month he purchased a vacation condo.
Put down 90,000 cash.
That's a lot of money, sir.
More than you'd expect a lieutenant commander to have lying around.
He's either a wiz in the stock market or he has a beautiful source of outside income.
It's not possible.
Captain, the message to the North Koreans was sent the day before the missile launched at around 0900.
Who was on duty in the Comm.
Room? Lieutenant Commander Rockwell.
Commander, I am not gonna put my comm.
Officer in the brig based solely on your suspicions.
I don't know about the brig, but if the North Koreans start shooting, you're gonna want a comm.
Officer you can trust.
- Is this a joke? - No joke.
You're actually accusing me of spying for the North Koreans? No one's accusing you of spying, commander, but all the transmitters are in this room.
You have unrestricted access.
Rocky, I've known you for a long time and I trust you, but the commander's got a point.
My wife's father died this winter, sir.
The payment for the vacation home was every nickel he'd saved.
You're wrong about my having the only transmitters.
This message could have been piggybacked onto any outgoing transmission.
From any radio telephone in the CIC or the Bridge.
There's no privacy in the Bridge.
That leaves CIC.
Why don't you find out who the CIC watch officer was at 0900 that morning? Commander Rabb, continue your investigation.
In the meantime, Commander Rockwell stays at his post.
Yes, sir.
CIC, sir.
Skipper.
On my way.
The North Koreans are putting MiGs in the air.
The salvage vessel is completely surrounded, sir.
Catanese, send a message to the captain of the Choson.
This is your final warning.
Stand clear.
Aye, aye, sir.
CAG, let's punctuate that.
Have your Tomcat strafe across the bow of the Choson.
Aye, aye, sir.
Patch me into the ship's intercom.
You can pick up, sir.
All hands.
This is your captain.
You've heard the scuttlebutt.
A commercial airliner was shot down by accident.
We are investigating the incident.
North Korean navy is attempting to hinder our investigation.
They're trying to scare us off with a show of force.
Clearly, they are making a big mistake.
We will not initiate an attack.
But if they fire upon us again, we will defend ourselves using whatever means necessary.
This is exactly what we've trained for, each and every one of us.
And I know that you will perform well.
Good luck and God bless.
Man, I'd give anything to be in a Tomcat right now.
Sir, there's a ship-to-ship for you from the salvage vessel.
- It's Captain Ames.
- Put it on the speaker.
This is Captain Hubbard.
Is that you, Hank? Yes, it is, Jim.
We've got something here you should look at.
I'm sending you a video feed.
It looks like they've found something.
This doesn't appear to be a commercial airliner.
Give me your best guess, Hank.
It looks like a section of an IL-76 mainstay.
That's an electronic surveillance aircraft.
Hank, are you telling me we blew up a North Korean spy plane? Looks that way to me, Jim.
Well, don't pull it up until we get there.
We don't want the North Koreans to know what we found.
Thanks, Hank.
Good work.
Commander, I'll deal with the North Koreans.
You find the spy aboard my ship and find him damn quick.
Yes, sir.
XO, this is the captain.
Set condition one.
General quarters, general quarters.
All hands to battle stations.
This is not a drill.
I say again, this is not a drill.
General quarters, general quarters.
All hands to battle stations.
This is not a drill.
I say again, this is not a drill.
So there never was a commercial airliner.
The North Koreans knew that there'd be a missile test.
They sent out a spy plane to gather data.
Then they transmitted a phoney IFF code to make themselves look like an innocent civilian plane that strayed off course.
But then their own search radar triggered the missile that shot them down.
It's like they shot themselves down.
Which is why they didn't want us to find the wreckage.
Someone aboard ship knew about the missile test the day before, sent a coded message to the North Koreans around 0900, probably from CIC.
From CIC? What time? It could have been around 0900, yes, ma'am.
But like I told you before, I was only gone for 10 or 15 minutes.
- You went to CIC? - Yes, sir.
Any chance at operations training, I take it.
What did you do there? Well, I went up to the dead reckoning tracer.
I asked the operations chief if I could put in some training time.
He gave me 10 minutes and then I came back here.
- Is there a problem, ma'am? - No.
No problem.
Carry on.
Yes, ma'am.
I remember her.
But I can't recall the exact time she was here.
She said she asked you about the dead reckoning tracer? Yes, ma'am, that's right.
She wanted to get some time in.
Is that common? When newbies come on board, they're assigned 90 days of mess duty.
They can use their off-duty hours to learn their operational speciality.
Well, maybe the mess chief is biting a little too hard.
I mean, after all, the kid was just trying to be a good sailor.
If I wanted to send a communication from here, could I do it? Well, you could send one, major, but nobody would be able to read it.
You see, all transmissions from here are encrypted before they go out.
Nobody can break the code.
Well, we've eliminated CIC, the Comm.
Centre and the Bridge.
You know where I'd go if I wanted to send a message off ship? The public phone.
Anyone can use them.
All you need is a calling card that you buy at the store.
Could she have sent a message from one of the phones? I don't know.
It was a complex signal.
Well, what if she generated the message beforehand, stored it, then sent it through the phone via portable modem.
I suppose it's possible.
The message was sent a few minutes after she left the galley.
Yeah.
So she goes to CIC, spends two, three minutes on the tracer as an alibi.
On the way back to the galley, she stops at this phone, sends the message.
In all, she's gone 15 minutes.
It's kind of circumstantial to me.
Not that that should bother you.
Can I get a list of all outgoing calls from the three phones? Sure.
Names of everyone who's bought a calling card? Sir, this fax just came in for Major MacKenzie from Admiral Chegwidden.
Why don't you give it to her? She's standing right here.
I called the admiral and requested background information on Tuppany.
- Wait a minute.
This can't be right.
- What? What's this? According to the file, Seaman Alice Tuppany.
I'll call the admiral and confirm the photo.
I'm going to the galley.
- Can you? - I'd be glad to help.
Commander.
I'm sorry.
Don't worry about it.
- Commander? - Who are you? If you know enough to ask that, I think you know the answer.
Oh, I know what you are.
I don't know who you are.
- Is that important? - I think you better come with me.
Just a minute.
Let me put these away.
Don't worry about the sandwiches.
Come on, let's go.
Come on.
Actually, I think you'd better come with me.
The woman onboard claiming to be Seaman Tuppany doesn't match the description you sent us.
Well, I'm not surprised.
Alice Tuppany is dead.
I just got word.
I sent NCIS looking for her.
Found her body buried behind her mobile home in San Diego.
She'd been dead for over a month.
Found one shot to the back of the head with a.
22.
I suggest you find this imposter ASAP.
- Yes, sir.
- And, major, get security involved.
No heroics.
Yes, sir.
Weapons check.
Report to the O-4 level for - Suit up, commander.
- I told you, I don't fly.
You don't fly at night.
Daylight, you're a star.
I heard all about you in the wardroom.
- Where do you think we're going? - I'll tell you when we're airborne.
Suit up.
How long have you been a spy? You've been watching too many '50s movies, commander.
- I'm not a spy.
- You sell military secrets for money.
Well, yeah, for lots of money.
Where did you start out? The Pentagon? SECNAV, actually.
I was seeing a guy who turned me on to "intelligence marketing.
" It's very lucrative.
- What happened to Alice Tuppany? - That was unfortunate.
So you're a murderer? I killed one person.
How many have you killed? And a traitor, huh? I sell information to North Korea, it's treason.
The government sells weapons to Iraq, it's foreign policy.
It all depends on your point of view.
We're looking for Commander Rabb.
Have you seen him? - No, sorry.
- How about Seaman Tuppany? No, she's gone again.
And I was gonna forget about the fire, but now she's in deep trouble.
You haven't got a prayer of leaving this ship.
I don't need a prayer.
I've got you.
And this.
Can you imagine the damage this will do on the flight deck? Put your helmet on, commander.
Be cool, commander.
I hope you have a good grip on that thing.
Don't play Wyatt Earp, commander.
Keep those heroic impulses down.
Way down.
Excuse me, sir.
Lieutenant Jacobs is scheduled for this flight.
I know that, petty officer.
Lieutenant Jacobs is down with the flu.
I'm taking his ride.
Sir, may I have your name, please? Lieutenant Commander Rabb.
I'll have to check with Flight Ops, sir.
We are facing a confrontation with the Korean navy, petty officer.
Just get me in the air and then you can check with whoever you want.
Yes, sir.
Nicely done.
You just saved that man's life.
Excuse me, sir.
We can't find Commander Rabb or the woman impersonating Tuppany.
Well, keep looking, major.
I've got a situation to deal with here.
Sir, the woman's a known killer.
I'm afraid Commander Rabb is in danger.
All right.
Have security initiate a search of the ship.
Yes, sir.
Thank you, sir.
Commander, switch the ejection control to me now.
You have ejection control.
If you even reach for that ejection switch, I'll blow us both up.
Do you believe me? I'm beginning to.
Good.
Switch us over to flight control and don't chat.
Just get us in the air.
This is Red King 301, up and ready.
Ma'am, I just got word from the flight deck that Commander Rabb is about to take a Tomcat up.
- What? - Apparently he told the plane captain that the regular pilot was down.
He's not, but he sure is mad.
Captain? Excuse me, sir.
Commander Rabb is about to launch.
Who the hell authorised that? No one, sir.
That's my point.
You've gotta stop him.
Get me the air boss on the horn right now.
I think we're too late, sir.
Angels 10 and climbing.
Come left to heading 295.
What makes you think the Koreans will have you? You're more trouble than you're worth.
Are you kidding? They're gonna throw me a parade.
I'm bringing them an F-14.
There are two bogies closing in on the commander.
I make them out as North Korean MiGs.
Air boss, this is the CAG.
Launch the ready alert.
Get those F-14s in the air now.
Vector F-14s to Commander Rabb.
Aye, skipper.
Firefighter 1 in flight.
Vector 270, angels 15.
Gate.
We're approaching North Korean air space.
Keep going.
I don't think they're gonna be throwing you a parade.
I'll establish radio contact.
Looks like Commander Rabb is heading for the Korean peninsula.
- What's his ETA? - Five minutes, sir.
The plane captain said that Harm had a female RIO.
All our female RIOs are accounted for, major.
That's what I was afraid of.
This is Hungnam to Tower Pyongyang.
Over.
I don't hear them answering.
Take us back to the Korean ships.
What? Are you gonna punch out? You'll never make it.
Just do it.
Yes, ma'am.
Commander Rabb has changed course.
It looks like he's heading for the Korean ship.
- What the hell is he doing? - I'm not sure, sir.
Sir, the MiGs are attacking.
Do not return fire.
I'm raising them on the radio.
I hope they're listening.
Are you hit? Tuppany, are you hit? Harm, Hawkeye.
Give us a hand getting this MiG off your tail.
With pleasure, Hawkeye.
Break right.
Now.
Nice move, commander.
We got them.
LSO, this is air boss.
Commander Rabb has a blown canopy.
Roger that, boss.
We'll get him down.
Harm, you're at one quarter mile.
Three-point-five, you have green deck.
Reprisal, Harm.
Three-point-five, I have the ball.
Roger ball.
Ensign Harriet Sims, please.
Yes, I'll hold.
- Harriet.
- Bud, are you okay? Yeah, I'm fine.
What's happened? It's, like, all over the news.
It's gotten complete coverage on ZNN.
Yeah, well, Commander Rabb really came through.
You all did.
You're heroes.
No, I wouldn't say heroes.
I mean, we're just a bunch of people doing what needed to be done.
Consequences be damned.
Never backing down.
Every man, woman aboard willing to give their lives.
Hey, Rambo.
Tell Harriet we said hello, huh? Yeah, it's kind of hard thinking about going back to a desk after this.
Yeah.
Get a taste of danger.